I know I have written about acceptance and closure before, but I'm questioning now, whether Cerebral Palsy is something I will be able to accept or bring closure on. Tomorrow I know that may all change depending on where I'm at emotionally.

I tried to close the bedroom blinds yesterday and as I did I fell over the cross-trainer. I misjudged my footing and caught my foot under the radiator cracking my toenail, bruising my foot and ankle and knee badly and knocking my face on the sill.

I have to remember to consciously make myself aware so that I work on my balance. I also have to remember to pace myself and allow myself the time to work through what I can and stop what isn’t working, like thinking I can walk normally without having to think about spacial awareness.

I am still being judged and comparisons are still being drawn on what others think I should be able to do. As we struggle, it’s easy for others to pass comments. That's the part I find difficult.

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

Most people who read this blog

went on to read these blogs next
Date 26 July 2026
Author Ilana Estelle

Living with Difference

Seen, Misjudged, Rarely Understood For most of my life, I lived in the dark. Not because I didn't know I was different, but because I didn't yet have the understanding to explain why life always felt harder than it seemed to be ...
Read more
Date 24 July 2026
Author Ilana Estelle

The Hidden Effects of Loss

Some consequences aren't immediate, they're cumulative It's five months into four years through twin loss, and I've split another tooth. On its own, it's an ordinary event. But it's an event that made me stop and look back ...
Read more
Date 19 July 2026
Author Ilana Estelle

What Writing Taught Me About Self-Understanding

How writing became more than a creative outlet When I started writing, I had no idea where it would lead. I simply needed somewhere to put my thoughts – a place to make sense of experiences I struggled to understand ...
Read more
1 2 3 681

8 comments on “Where I'm at today”

  1. "I know I have to pace myself, find my balance and keep that balance. I have to remember to pace myself and allow myself the time to work through what I know I can do and stop what I know isn’t working for me, like thinking I can walk normally without so much as a thought as to what may happen if I don’t think about what’s in front of me."

    OMG I feel the EXACT same way! and we ARE judged and compared to others on a daily basis.

  2. I think I now have a better understanding of what you are talking about here. Since having sciatica this summer I have not regained full strength and feeling in my right leg and foot and go through the same thing... I have to watch my footing and remember that I can't just run around like I did before.

    I trip more easily and need to be very careful on uneven terrain. I have also wondered what people think when they see me limping around, I know for me it is affecting my self-image but I am trying hard to just go forward and not worry about what others think... easier said than done. I can only imagine what it is like to go through your whole life this way.

    1. Thanks Lisa. I don't draw myself into what other people think syndrome, what they think is up to them, although I'd be lying if I said it never bothered me as a child, because it did. It affected my self-image as a child, but I have grown through the experience and feel more at ease with myself now. I am in a better place now for sure.

      Thank you for your concern and your kind thoughts of what I deal with... and thank you for your support. I hope you're feeling better today.

  3. Try to take your time. I know when I try to go too fast that is when I will fall. Plus try to concentrate on what you are doing. If I have too much on my mind I will fall too. Of course by now I have lived with CP nearly 55 years. Live & learn. I speak from experience.

    1. Thanks Randy. I was actually taking my time when this happened! I was stroking the cat just before it happened so lost concentration for a few minutes.

    2. Thanks for posting Bill. It's nice to know we're not alone in our struggles. I am sure there are many more who deal with CP who feel what we feel.

  4. I now know due to the nerve thing in my leg. Since I drag my foot a little now I trip easily... and I still have family members that think I can do whatever they can. They just don't get it! I don't care what they think anymore, that's their problem. Sorry you got hurt. I hope you heal quickly and don't have a lot of pain.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to receive regular updates

Enter your details below to be the first to receive updates on new articles on my blog.